Olympic bronze medallist, Saina had outclassed Spaniard Carolina Marin to clinch her first Super Series crown in 20 months, after coming out on top in the Denmark Open in October 2012.
The World No. 2 Indian will take on a qualifier in her campaign opener.
The other Indian in women's singles, World No. 11 P V Sindhu is unseeded and will face former World Champion Chinese Yihan Wang, seeded eighth, in her opening match.
Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap will face Chinese sixth seed Wang Zhengming in a tough match, while Indonesia Masters winner, H S Prannoy will open against China's Tian Houwei.
India's men's doubles pair of Pranaav Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar will meet Cai Yun and Kang Jun, while 2010 Commonwealth Games champions Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will face Dutch pair Samantha Barning and Iris Tabeling in women's doubles competition.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
